Your first home starts with clear answers.

Allow for buying costs and a cash buffer after moving in.

Stamp duty, conveyancing or legal fees, inspections, lender fees and moving costs may be additional. Separate these from your deposit, then check your ongoing monthly budget. Taxes and concessions depend on location and eligibility.

MFAA · Buying costs ↗

No. Qualifying for one does not mean you qualify for the others.

Government low-deposit schemes, state or territory grants and tax concessions each have their own rules. Check location, property type and personal circumstances separately. Low-deposit schemes still require a participating lender’s approval and do not guarantee your desired loan amount. Compare Help to Buy and the 5% Deposit Scheme with examples →

Australian Government · 5% Deposit Scheme ↗

There is no single timeframe or upfront guarantee.

Document completeness, the lender and your circumstances affect progress. Tell me your intended offer, contract or settlement timing so I can explain the lending steps. Your conveyancer or solicitor should confirm contractual deadlines.

MFAA · Application timing ↗

Start with whether you are ready, rather than trying to predict prices.

Look at your savings, income and monthly expenses, then the room left in your budget after buying. If repayments would make things tight, adjust the budget first. We can do the numbers without committing to a purchase.

No. What you can borrow and what you feel comfortable repaying are different things.

You can borrow less and contribute more savings, while allowing for buying costs and an emergency buffer. Once you decide on an amount, I can update the repayment estimate.

Yes. Getting clear on your budget and finance can help guide your search.

Tell me whether you plan to live in the property or invest, when you hope to buy and what you are unsure about. You do not need to send every document straight away.

An earlier estimate is a guide. We should update it closer to buying.

Income, expenses, interest rates, residency and lender policies can change. If your residency is changing or your purchase is some time away, we can plan now and reassess before applying.

Compare the cash needed upfront and the repayments afterwards.

A smaller deposit usually means borrowing more. Allow for buying costs, possible LMI and a cash buffer. Access to a low-deposit scheme depends on current eligibility and lender requirements, not just your savings percentage.

I do not charge clients a service fee for my home purchase loan consultations and applications.

Lenders may pay upfront and ongoing commissions to my authorised organisation. Amounts and arrangements are set out in the relevant disclosure documents. Lenders, government bodies and other third parties may still charge fees.

I look for suitable options from the lender panel I am authorised and able to use.

I usually shortlist three suitable lenders and compare rates, repayments, fees, features and processing times with you. You then choose the option. This does not cover every lender or product in the market.

I will give you a list based on your circumstances, so you do not have to guess.

Typically, identification, payslips, income or tax records, bank statements and details of debts and expenses. Before providing credit assistance, I also provide a Credit Guide and Privacy Statement explaining my services and disclosures. I will confirm how to provide documents separately.

A fixed rate offers certainty for a set period; a variable rate can change with the lender.

Fixed loans may limit extra repayments and have break costs. Variable rates can rise or fall. We can also discuss splitting the loan between fixed and variable, depending on your need for certainty and flexibility.

It is an account linked to your home loan. Eligible balances reduce the amount used to calculate loan interest.

For example, a $500,000 loan with $50,000 in a 100% offset may be charged interest on $450,000. The loan principal itself has not fallen by $50,000. The money is usually accessible, but withdrawals reduce the offset benefit. Account fees and product conditions also matter.

Not always. Check how the lender calculates them.

To keep the same annual repayment total, use monthly repayment × 12 ÷ 26. Paying half a monthly repayment every fortnight instead gives 26 half-payments, equivalent to 13 months. These are different methods; the actual debit depends on the lender’s arrangement.

Pre-approval is not formal approval. There are still things to check before signing.

The lender needs to assess the actual property and your updated application. I can confirm loan progress; ask your solicitor or conveyancer to review the contract, deadlines and legal risks.

There is no single timeframe that suits every purchase.

A subject-to-finance clause is part of the contract. Its wording and deadline depend on the location, contract and application progress, and should be checked by your solicitor or conveyancer. I can provide the lending update to help with timing.

Check the specific property rather than relying on its size or label.

Send me the listing so I can check lender acceptance. For serviced apartments, ask your conveyancer about permitted use, management agreements and long-term owner occupation. Meeting a particular floor area does not guarantee approval.

Yes. Let me know early about changes to income, debts or purchase plans.

Pre-approval has conditions and an expiry date; it is not a final commitment to lend. I can check how changes affect the application and what information needs updating.

Confirm the valuation and available loan amount, then work out the funding gap.

Send me the address, intended offer and contract. Where the lender allows it, I can arrange a valuation and review the loan structure and possible shortfall. Before an offer or auction, ask your solicitor or conveyancer to check the contract and legal risks too.

No. These are usually preparation-stage updates.

Lenders use different status labels. A booked settlement, available funds and a completed settlement are separate things. Send me the notice and I can check the lender’s progress.

Check the latest status rather than relying on one notification.

Notifications and system updates may happen at different times. I can check with the lender and conveyancer whether the date has been accepted and what remains outstanding. A booked date does not mean settlement is complete.

Ask your conveyancer for the latest settlement statement and confirm the shortfall.

Fees and adjustments can change, so do not transfer funds based only on an early estimate. Ask me about the loan advance; confirm your final contribution, payment timing and recipient details with your conveyancer.

Yes. We still need to check the account setup and repayments.

Within 1–3 business days of settlement or a rate change, I check the rate, repayment account, offset link, payment date and amount. After the debit, I check the actual payment. Around three to six months later, we review the rate and product as appropriate. You can contact me again when your needs change.

Yes. Use the same booking link for all three.

Choose a convenient time and tell me which type of loan you want to discuss.

This site is for finding answers. It does not accept loan documents.

If you proceed with an application, I will explain what documents are needed and how to provide them. You do not need to enter personal information to read these answers.